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The revision of the saproxylic hoverflies collected in Serbia from 1950 to 2010 has revealed a total of 56 species, of which Sphiximorpha subsessilis (Illiger in Rossi) is new to the Balkan Peninsula and Arctophila superbiens (Muller), Blera fallax (Linnaeus), Brachyopa panzeri Goffe, Brachyopa testacea (Fallen), Brachyopa vittata Zetterstedt and Chalcosyrphus piger (Fabricius) are new to Serbia. According to “Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae”, 16 of the 56 species are threatened with extinction in Europe, while 6 species are “strictly protected” and 13 are “protected” under Serbian legislation. Distribution maps for each species, as well as new data on adult habitats, are provided. The conservation status of the saproxylic hoverflies of Serbia is discussed. The present study attempts to provide a basis for the conservation of the saproxylic hoverflies of this Balkan country.

This paper describes two related species of the subgenus Paragus (Paragus) Latreille 1804 from two remote regions. The study of material from the Bohart Museum (Davis, California, United States) resulted in the discovery of an undescribed Nearctic species, P. vockerothi sp.nov. Simultaneously, one similar new European species, P. glumaci sp.nov., is reported among material collected from the Balkan Peninsula. The description of both species, with figures of male genitalia and diagnostic characters, is given. The zoogeographical significance of the discovery of these species is emphasized.

Descriptions are given of three new cryptic species of Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the island of Lesvos (Greece): Merodon latifemoris Radenkovic et Vujic n. sp. from the nigritarsis species group, Merodon pulveris Vujic et Radenkovic n. sp. from the natans species group and Merodon puniceus Vujic, Radenkovic et Perez-Banon n. sp. from the aureus species group. In addition to classical morphological characters, mitochondrial COI barcode sequences were generated for several specimens of each taxon.

We studied the phylogeny and systematics of the tribe Paragini (Diptera: Syrphidae) using morphological and molecular data. The paper presents separate parsimony analyses of both adult morphological characters and partial DNA sequence data from mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I and nuclear ribosomal 28S rRNA gene, as well as a combined analysis of all the data. The data set of morphological characters included some features of the male terminalia (i.e. shape of the ejaculatory apodeme; relative position of elements of the aedeagal complex; shape of surstylar apodeme; shape of the aedeagal apodeme) not previously used in the systematics of the Paragini. The trees obtained from separate parsimony analyses of molecular and morphological data produced almost identical topologies. Four lineages are supported by the combined data set, and we establish two new subgenera, i.e. Serratoparagus Vujic et Radenkovic subgen. nov., and Afroparagus Vujic et Radenkovic subgen. nov., and redefine Pandasyopthalmus Stuckenberg, 1954 stat. rev. and Paragus Latreille, 1804, stat. rev. The monophyly of the Pandasyopthalmus clade, including the species fitting neither of the current species groups (jozanus-group) of Paragini, is established. Diagnoses of all known species groups are presented, including a new arrangement of almost all valid species of Paragini. Carl Cedercreutz Foundation, Helsinki (Finland); Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection (project number 143037) and Provincial Ministry of Science and Technological Development, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina – project: Maintenance of Biodiversity – Hotspots on the Balkan and Iberian Peninsula (Insecta, Diptera, Syrphidae) (Republic of Serbia); and Ministry of Environment (project number 040/2002) and University of Alicante (project number GRE04-25) (Spain).

Descriptions are given of two new species of Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the island of Lesvos (Greece): Merodon papillus Vujić, Radenkovic & Pérez-Bañón n. sp. from the ruficornis group species and Merodon sapphous Vujic, Pérez-Bañón & Radenkovic n. sp. from the aureus group. In addition to classical morphological characters, partial sequences of the mitochondrial COI gene are generated for each taxon as DNA ‘barcodes’. Main characteristics of the species habitats are reported. The zoogeographical significance of these endemic taxa to the biodiversity of the island is discussed. European Commission Framework 6 Integrated project ALARM (Assessing LArge scale environmental Risks for biodiversity with tested Methods) (GOCE-CT-2003-506675) & Ministry of Science, Technology and Development of Republic Serbia (project number 143037).